City · South Dakota
Wagner, South Dakota
Wagner, city, in Charles Mix County, South Dakota. Wagner had 1,422 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,490 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,529 (±173). GEOID 4668020.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,422
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,490 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,529 ±173
Median household income
$47,462
±$5,911 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
$136,000
±$16,023 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
$684
±$127 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946
Where is Wagner and what county is it in?
Wagner is a city in Charles Mix County, South Dakota. It covers 1.9 square miles of land, 802 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Wagner, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,422 people lived in Wagner on July 1, 2025, down 4.7% since 2020, while South Dakota grew 5.5%. The 2020 Census counted 1,490 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,529 (±173).
| Measure | Wagner | Charles Mix County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,529 ±173 | 9,281 | no clear change |
| Households | 535 ±59 | 3,032 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.70 ±0.30 | 2.95 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 632 ±55 | 3,668 | no clear change |
Wagner's population since 2000
From 1,675 in 2000 to 1,422 in 2025: down 15.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wagner as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Wagner?
The median resident of Wagner is 34.3 years old; 29.8% are under 18 and 19.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 45.7%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 36.4%. 2.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Wagner | Charles Mix County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.3 ±5.1 | 36.0 | −9.0 |
| Under 18 years | 29.8% ±5.2 pts | 30.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.6% ±4.3 pts | 19.0% | – |
| Male | 46.6% ±4.6 pts | 50.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.4% ±2.4 pts | 3.0% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 45.7% ±7.3 pts | 63.7% | −12.4 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 36.4% ±7.5 pts | 27.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 8.2% ±4.0 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.4% ±1.5 pts | 0.8% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.8% ±4.1 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.7% ±3.0 pts | 8.1% | – |
| With a disability | 16.1% ±3.5 pts | 11.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 15.4% ±4.8 pts | 17.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.1% ±4.6 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.6% ±4.3 pts | 25.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.2% ±2.8 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.5% ±6.0 pts | 90.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.5% ±1.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Wagner earn?
Half of Wagner's 535 households earn less than $47,462 a year (±$5,911), against $64,038 in Charles Mix County and $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $48,932 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wagner | Charles Mix County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,462 ±$5,911 | $64,038 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $68,669 ±$7,884 | $84,687 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,387 ±$4,506 | $30,672 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.7% ±4.8 pts | 24.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.2% ±8.6 pts | 33.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 19.1% ±6.5 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 84.5% ±5.3 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 72.7% ±6.8 pts | 82.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Wagner?
Owners occupy 55.5% of Wagner's occupied homes and renters 44.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $136,000 by its owner (±$16,023). The median renter pays $684 a month including utilities, and 23.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Wagner | Charles Mix County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $136,000 ±$16,023 | $170,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $684 ±$127 | $704 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 23.9% ±11.1 pts | 22.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,365 ±$332 | $1,751 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 55.5% ±7.8 pts | 72.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 44.5% ±7.8 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Housing units | 632 ±55 | 3,668 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.9% ±2.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.3% ±5.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 73.3% ±5.3 pts | 84.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.5% ±2.3 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.0% ±1.9 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 25.6% ±5.7 pts | 27.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.4% ±4.9 pts | 5.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Wagner building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Wagner in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.7 per 1,000 residents against 5.7 across South Dakota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Wagner work and get to work?
80.1% of Wagner's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 12.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 8.0%.
| Measure | Wagner | Charles Mix County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.5% ±5.4 pts | 61.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.0% ±3.5 pts | 5.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 80.1% ±7.2 pts | 75.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.4% ±6.2 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.4% ±2.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 4.3% ±2.8 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.9% ±1.0 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 12.0 min ±2.1 | 14.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Wagner?
No census tract lies mostly in Wagner; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9403Charles Mix County | 3,457 | $61,200 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Wagner) · Census block assignment files
How does Wagner compare with other places in South Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wagner is the 8,920th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 42nd-most populous of 310 in South Dakota.
Wagner ranks 76th of 82 places in South Dakota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 42nd | 310 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 71st | 73 |
| Residents per square mile | 53rd | 84 |
| Median household income | 76th | 82 |
| Per capita income | 69th | 83 |
| Median home value | 67th | 81 |
| Median gross rent | 61st | 72 |
| Poverty rate | 16th | 55 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59th | 81 |
| Median age | 65th | 83 |
| Owner-occupied share | 70th | 84 |
| Travel time to work | 69th | 84 |
Wagner's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Wagner with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Wagner?
10 of the 57 figures for Wagner on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Wagner are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Wagner.